A COLLECTION OF FAMILY PICTURES, SOME OLDER THAN OTHERS, A PLACE TO START FIGURING OUT MY FAMILY TREE. HEY, HOW DID THAT FUNNY LOOKING GUY GET IN THERE ?

Sepia Saturday

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Random pics........

My grandmother Grace Elizabeth Turner Burgus shown here in a rare hand tinted portrait. My brother shared this photo with me which he photographed while visiting a first cousin in Murray.

A three year old with her abacus . This happens to be my mother, Zella Marie Brown Burgus. The year would be 1922. She looks a little stern with the photographer.

I am always entertained to see how parents take their kids out into the yard and pose them. Here is a photo of my oldest brother Ron on the left and my second oldest brother Rex on the right. My brother Dwight has been stuck on a tree stump or an upside down bucket for the pose. I would say the year would be 1948.
I remember that since air conditioner was not invented yet, we as kids wore as few clothes as possible most of the day in the summer. Shoes were optional and in most cases we went barefoot. Going barefoot on the farm meant stepping on thistles, thorns, sharp rocks and other undesirable farm animal stuff from chickens or cows.

A classic Christmas in our old house. I am thinking my brother Ron had just received a new Brownie Kodak camera from Santa and he is taking the photo. That camera had the one time flash bulbs as it's lighting device.

The room we are in was in the drafty old house we tore down in 1959, so I am thinking it is about 1957. My dad has a windup toy that my mom had bought for him. He liked the little tin donkey toy with a tail that twirled around or a car that would spin in circles. I can't tell which one he has in his hand but that was a tradition in the family every year or two to buy him curious wind up toys that continued until he was 80 years old.

All of the first three photos are a lot out of focus but notice the Brownie Kodak took a great picture.

I am sporting some cool homemade pajamas and it is very early in the morning. Mom is in the rocker and Dwight is on the couch behind my dad. This was the year that Santa brought a brown paper wrapped box with Dwight and Larry's name written on it. It was the train that you can see set up on the linoleum living room floor. The box is behind my dad in which it came. The wooden knick knack rack on the wall is holdinge photos in frames that I have up in my store room. The rack is made of one eighth inch thick plywood, made by a local Murray man, and I have that too.

It is so amazing how one can return to an old photo and see all the world inside of it as if it is was just a few years ago. This is one of those amazing photos that I did not know that it existed.

Firstly, the photo of your grandmother is so special, she was a lovely lady. The photos form your childhood are delightful, each one tells it's own story. Isn't it amazing how much we remember when we look back on photos like these. As for minimum of clothes and going barefoot in summer on the farm - this was the same for my childhood!

I love that picture of your mother and the abacus. The Christmas picture brings back so many of my own family Christmas memories. It looks like that was a perfect Christmas for you kids...and your Dad.

I adore the photo of your mother! What a unique treasure that is! The Christmas photo brings back memories of my own childhood Christmases. I had a windup tin tiger with a tail that spun around. I still have it somewhere, but I'm not sure it can be wound anymore. You've made me curious ... now I have to go find it. Thanks for sharing your walk down memory lane with us.

i was wondering which gift you liked the best - the homemade pajamas or the train!! Have you seen the move "A Christmas Story" where the two boys have to wear their bunny pajama gifts on Christmas? Your story reminds me so much of that movie.Nancy